Blood-stained shorts could link Dahlgren to murders

Investigators have new evidence in the case against American national Kevin
Dahlgren, suspected of having killed four relatives in the Czech Republic
in May. According to public broadcaster Czech TV, which acquired
documentation a U.S. court, a pair of blood-stained shorts was found in the
suspect’s luggage after he was arrested in the United States. Whether the
evidence will pave the way for extradition, however, remains an open
question.

Kevin Dahlgren, photo: archive of Czech Police
It’s no secret that the United States rarely allows the extradition of
its own but the case of suspected murderer Kevin Dahlgren, the Czech
authorities are hoping, will be different. The Czech Republic formally
filed an extradition request earlier this month; now, Czech TV has learned,
there is an additional twist: key evidence potentially connecting Mr
Dahlgren to the crime: a pair of shorts with blood stains from at least one
of the victims.

According to the extradition request, cited by Czech TV, there is no doubt
that blood on the apparel belonged to one of the victims, David Harok,
while it was highly probable that additional stains were blood from other
family members, Martin Harok and Veronika Haroková, all murdered in their
home in Brno. Twenty-five blood stains in all were found and experts
suggest it could be difficult for the suspect to provide an alternative
explanation – other than having directly committed the crime – for how
the blood of several people got on the piece of clothing. Daniel Vaněk is
a Czech forensic specialist:

“Unless the suspect can convincingly explain how the blood of several
victims got on the apparel, it can be used as key evidence.”

The defence is likely to try and have the evidence rejected on several
grounds, including whether tests followed regular procedure. In the
meantime, the 20-year-old suspect remains in custody; his lawyer, not long
ago, was unable to secure his release on bail.

Harok family, photo: Czech Television
The extradition request, cited by Czech TV, also contained testimonies by
witnesses that prior to the murders the relatives of Dahlgren – a
four-member family of mother, father and two sons – had grown
increasingly anxious during the cousin’s stay: Mr Dahlgren ignored
personal privacy and also cited was bizarre and unsettling behaviour, his
allegedly walking around the family home at night, knife in hand, as the
family supposedly slept. A bloody knife was one of the items found at the
scene of the crime. Blood was also found on the leg of a barstool.

Mr Dahlgren had spent around three weeks with the family prior to the
murders. The victims are believed to have been killed on-by-one and failed
to anticipate any attack: there were no signs of struggle among any of the
victims. Mr Dahlgren managed to avoid arrest by flying home to the United
States where he was detained at the airport by the F.B.I.

Whether Kevin Dahlgren is extradited to the Czech Republic remains a big
“if”; should the U.S. comply, he would stand trial here and could face
a life sentence.